


You Can't Go Back and Change the Beginning

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [123]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adorable Tony Stark, Alpha Phil Coulson, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Child Abandonment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Firefighters, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Tony, Kid Tony Stark, M/M, Mechanic Bucky Barnes, Omega Clint Barton, Omega Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.ORThe one where Tony is left at the firehouse in the middle of the night.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Avengers Shorts [123]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/271549
Comments: 106
Kudos: 888
Collections: Supernatural Avengers





	1. 3 am

The knock at the door at three in the morning meant only one thing. Everyone at the fire department knew what a 3 am knock meant, so they waited for Steve to get the door. They were all trained but Steve was the only one who was an actual foster parent with experience and kids seemed to take to him better. So Steve went to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there was a young boy, about seven years old, holding a bear and a backpack.

Steve looked around but there was no one in the parking lot. He wasn’t shocked, the law stated that kids could be abandoned for up to the age of twelve with no consequences for the parents as long as the kids were left at a fire house or church – and as long as the kids were omegas. The ‘No Questions Asked’ law was one that Steve hated with a passion.

“Come on in,” said Steve with a gentle smile. “I’m Steve.”

“I’m Tony,” said the boy softly, following Steve into the fire house with his things. 

“It’s nice to meet you Tony,” said Steve. “Come on, I’ll get you all set up in the break room. Do you want anything to drink or eat?”

“No thank you.”

The break room was brightly lit and had a comfortable area for kids because they got enough of them to justify having an area specifically set up for them. It was full of blankets and pillows and soft things to cuddle along with books and coloring supplies. Next to it was a set of red cubbies for belongings.

“You can put your bag in there, no one will bother it,” said Steve. The cubbies were set up so the kids could clearly see them and make sure their things were okay. They had found that the young omegas would get panicky it they couldn’t see the only things that belonged to them.

Tony reluctantly set his bag in the cubby but kept a firm hold on the old bear, looking around uneasily.

“I’ll let you get settled,” said Steve. “There should be someone from the Omega House here in the morning to pick you up. I need you to stay in this room because it can get dangerous out with the trucks. The bathroom is right there, the blue door. Just call if you need anything. There are plenty of people around and we will all be checking in on you periodically.”

Tony didn’t respond but Steve wasn’t really expecting a response. They had had enough kids dropped off for him to get used to the stunned silence that accompanied so many. As far as they went, Tony was adorable and considerably older than they usually got. If a family was going to abandon their omega child it usually happened in the first year or two. There were plenty of reasons for a family to give up their omega child – the law was in place from years ago when times were harder for everyone and families couldn’t afford as many children. The omegas were always the first to go in that instance. Now, however, Steve knew it was more than often abused for status. Alphas were more useful and had a better shot at getting a good job and climbing the corporate ladder than an omega, so most families wanted to focus all their resources on those children, not the omegas.

Steve stuck his head into the sleeping room and threw a shoe at the lower bunk, hitting the guy sleeping there in the leg.

“What?” groaned Clint, getting up and stumbling out into the hall.

“We’ve got another one,” sighed Steve. “I need you to call Phil and keep an eye on the kid for me.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Clint with a yawn, running a hand through his sleep mussed hair before heading to the kitchen to get some coffee.

As the only omega in the firehouse, Clint was used to being their go-to for the abandoned kids. He didn’t mind – he had been given up when he was an infant and taken in by an amazing family. When he met Phil, a social worker for omegas, through work Clint knew he was in love. They got mated shortly after and made an amazing team. The firehouse Clint worked at was the best at getting omegas to the home in a timely and safe manner.

“Hey babe,” said Clint with a yawn into the phone, sipping his coffee from his favorite purple mug.

“Hey,” said Phil, sounding tired but not surprised to be hearing from his mate at 3:30 in the morning. “You have another one I assume?”

“Yeah, a boy,” sighed Clint. “He’s pretty old for an abandoned one, maybe like seven or eight.”

“Damn. Yeah, okay, I’ll see what I can do but that’s pretty old. None of the families on the list are going to take him on, they are waiting for a baby. The Omega House was pretty full the last I checked but maybe there was an opening. Do you know his state?”

“Not yet, just what Steve told me. I’m going to go check on him when we hang up, I just figured since he was older you would need extra time to find a place for him.”

“Thanks,” sighed Phil. “I’m not sure if I’ll find a place for him tonight. Steve needs to call Bucky and see if they can take the kid until we figure this out.”

“I think Steve was already going to do that but I’ll make sure he does. Thanks babe.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Clint hung up and put his phone in his pocket. He ran a hand over his face, grabbed a cup of milk and a bowl of fruit and went into the break area to look at the young omega in their temporary care.

He was the cutest little thing, Clint had to admit. His brown hair was messy and slightly curled, he had big eyes, and he was just so small.

“Hey, I’m Clint,” said Clint, walking over and joining Tony in the nest of comfy items and handing him the cup of milk before setting the bowl of fruit between them.

“You’re an omega,” said Tony softly, looking at the man with judgmental eyes.

“Yes,” said Clint calmly. Sometimes the older omegas were wary of other omegas when they were dropped off, most often because they were brought their by their omega parent or relative.

“And you’re a firefighter?”

“Yes.”

“Wow,” whispered Tony, his big eyes filling with admiration. “That’s so cool.”

“Thanks,” said Clint brightly. “I can show you around in a bit if you want.”

“Yes please!”

Tony smiled brightly and Clint was gone. He wished that he could just take the kid home with him but knew that wasn’t possible yet because Phil and him worked odd hours and didn’t want to put a child through that. Soon Clint was hoping to be switch to just day hours instead of the twenty-four hour shift but right now it wouldn’t be fair to Tony or any other kid.

“Do you know what is going to happen now?” asked Clint.

“No,” said Tony, his smile sliding off his face as he hugged a grey pillow to his chest, his bear firmly in his hand.

“My mate, Phil, is an alpha,” said Clint with a soft smile. “He works as a social worker for omegas. I’ve already called him and he is working to find you a nice place to stay. It could be with a family or it could be in a home for omegas. Do you know what the Omega House is?”

Tony shook his head.

“It’s a nice place where omegas like you can live and grow. It has nice open rooms for socializing and good food. If they have space, you probably will have to share a room with another omega but they will have so many soft blankets and pillows for you.”

“Will I get to go to school?” asked Tony softly. 

“School?”

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to go to school.”

“No matter where you end up you will get to go to school, I promise,” said Clint, hiding how it hurt his heart that Tony had never been to school, though it wasn’t a shock. Some families didn’t send their omegas to school and it wasn’t illegal to keep them home. There were few omega rights laws in place and it bothered Clint.

Tony nodded and took a slice of apple and tentatively bit into it. Clint started talking about Steve, knowing that it was very likely that Tony would be going with them since Phil was rarely wrong about the Omega House and how many were there. There were a few other homes for abandoned omegas in the city but they were terrible and Phil refused to use them. Steve and his mate had taken in several kids over the years for a few days to a couple of months while they waited for an opening at the Omega House so it wasn’t unusual.

“Does Steve have a mate?” asked Tony after a while, yawning big and snuggling his bear and the grey pillow he had taken a liking to.

“Yes,” said Clint with a grin. “His mate is Bucky. Bucky is a mechanic and owns his own shop.”

“Oh, is he a beta?” asked Tony with disappointment.

“Nope, he’s an omega like us,” said Clint proudly. 

“And Steve lets him own his own shop?” said Tony skeptically.

“Of course,” said Steve, walking in from the office where he had been on the phone with Phil. “Bucky is a great mechanic. It would be silly for him not to have his own place.”

“But he’s an omega,” whispered Tony.

“Yes, he is,” said Steve, crouching down so he was eye level with the kid. “And the government and society are wrong about omega potential. I don’t have the money or pull to make big changes happen for you guys but I can make this happen. I can make sure my mate gets to live his dream and that others know about it. That’s how we change the world, we do the right thing as often as we can, even if it only helps one or two people at a time.”

Tony nodded, a little bit in awe of the tall alpha. He had never met anyone like him before, not that Tony had met a lot of people to begin with. His family had kept him mostly locked inside.

“Now, I just got off the phone with Phil,” said Steve, directing his attention to Clint.

“And?” said Clint.

“Tony,” said Steve, looking back at the kid. “How would you like to come live with Bucky and me for a while?”

“What about the Omega House?” asked Tony timidly, turning his big eyes on Clint. “What about school?”

“The Omega House is full right now buddy,” said Steve sadly. “But I promise you will still go to school while you live with Bucky and me. There is a school just a block away from our apartment and it’s super close to where Bucky works so he can walk you there every day. Lots of the older omegas from the Omega House go there so you will have people to make friends with.”

“I know Steve can be kinda scary,” said Clint in a loud whisper. “But he’s a big teddy bear and he won’t let anyone mess with you. And you’ll love Bucky. He looks grumpy but don’t worry, he had a soft spot for cute little omegas with big eyes like yours. He’s going to love you.”

“He’ll be here in a few minutes,” said Steve. “I thought it might be nice for you to get to meet him with Clint.”

Tony nodded along, dazed and exhausted and a bit overwhelmed with everything that had happened in a few short hours.

“I’ll be right here,” said Clint softly.

Tony nodded again, leaning against the older omega and taking another apple slice to munch on while he waited for this Bucky fellow to arrive.


	2. A Nap

“Where is he?” asked Bucky, entering the fire house at almost five in the morning.

“Hello to you too,” said Steve with a lopsided grin.

“Yes, hello,” said Bucky, kissing Steve quickly before pulling back and looking him in the eye with a serious expression. “Now, where is the kid?”

“He’s in the break room now,” said Steve with a sigh. “Clint took him on a tour of the fire house and he liked the trucks but then a team was called out and the noise scared him, so they are back in the break room being cuddled I’m sure.”

Bucky nodded shortly, kissed Steve a little longer, and then headed towards the break room. Bucky loved kids and was a sucker for a sob story. He swears that how he came to be mated to Steve – he had seen the spunky then tiny little alpha getting his ass handed to him in high school and fell in love. He loved Steve’s spirit, his sense of righteousness, his eagerness to please, everything. Steve was protective and loved with his entire being and Bucky adored that. So when Steve had first proposed being foster parents, Bucky was overjoyed because he knew that Steve would be just as caring and adoring a father as he was a mate.

Still, Bucky hated early morning calls. It meant that there was a kid in need of a place to stay and had nowhere else to go. Early morning calls were the worst.

“Hey Bucky,” said Clint softly when Bucky entered the break room.

“Hey,” said Bucky equally as softly.

“Tony, Bucky is here,” said Clint quietly to the young boy next to him. “I told you about him. You’re going to live with him and Steve for a while.”

“Hi Tony,” said Bucky, sitting down a couple of feet away from the other two omegas so he wasn’t towering over them both anymore. “I’m Bucky. You’ve already met my mate Steve.”

“You own a car repair shop,” said Tony skeptically, clearly not entirely convinced that Steve had told him the truth.

“Yes I do,” said Bucky proudly. “I fix cars and customize motorcycles on the side with Steve.”

Tony blinked up at him, trying to decide if he believed him or not.

“How about we go home and have some breakfast, take a nap, and then I can bring you to the shop and show you around,” suggested Bucky. “And I can show you the bike we are currently working on. It’s in our garage, so you can see it after breakfast.”

“Okay,” said Tony slowly. 

“Great,” said Clint brightly. “How about you head out with Bucky now? I’ll come over for dinner, okay?”

“Promise?” whispered Tony.

“Promise,” said Clint. “So have fun and rest up so that you are all ready to play before dinner.”

“We are going to take the bus home,” said Bucky. “Is it okay if I carry you? It’s a long walk and you must be tired.”

“I can walk,” said Tony softly.

“Okay,” said Bucky with a nod. “If you change your mind, let me know. I am going to insist that we hold hands while out though. It’s early but it’s also easy to get lost.”

Tony nodded. He would have liked to have been carried, he wanted affection and soft touches, but it was hard for him to tell if Bucky was genuine. No one had been genuine before he met Clint and Tony still wasn’t positive about Clint.

In short order Tony had his backpack back on his back, his bear in his left hand and his right hand in Bucky’s warm one and they were out in the city again, the dark early morning already starting to be infiltrated with other humans. They caught the early bus, Tony taking a seat next to Bucky, swinging his little legs as he looked around with interest. He had never been on a bus before. He had barely been out of his family home before. Everything was new.

Bucky studied the kid, not surprised by the dark circles under the boys eyes since the kid had been up all night. Bucky was a bit surprised at how interested Tony seemed in the bus, though it made his heart squeeze at the thought that Tony most likely hadn’t been on a bus before much less out of his house. It wasn’t shocking, a lot of omegas were kept indoors, but it didn’t make it any easier.

“This is our stop,” said Bucky after a few more minutes, standing up and taking Tony’s hand again. “Do you have everything?”

Tony nodded, squeezing Bucky’s hand as they moved off the bus, dragging his feet tiredly. Bucky ached to pick the kid up but he knew it wasn’t the right time. He was content with how Tony stayed extra close as they walked, unsure of his surroundings and with Bucky as the only semi-familiar person Tony opted to hang close to him.

“So, welcome,” said Bucky, opening the apartment door.

Tony took in the apartment. It was painted with a soft blue-grey paint that looked more blue than grey depending on the lighting. The kitchen and living room were one with a counter with four stools separating them slightly. Three doors were off on the left of the entry room, one open to a bathroom with white tiled walls and black and white tiled floor. The other two were closed.

“Come on,” said Bucky, walking over to the doors. “This one is Stevie and my room.”

Bucky opened the door and let Tony see the neatly made bed with a dark blue comforter and dark furniture.

“This is your room,” said Bucky.

He opened the second closed door and showed Tony a quaint room with sea foam green walls and a bunk bed with black and white bedding. It was a pretty generic room and Tony could tell that it was mostly used to house omega kids temporarily. At the moment, he really didn’t care, he just wanted to sleep.

“Go ahead and take a nap,” said Bucky. “I’ll wake you in a couple of hours so we can get on a semi-normal schedule.”

“Okay,” whispered Tony, setting his backpack down on the floor next to the bed and climbed into the bottom bunk with his bear, asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

Bucky left the door open just a bit and went back to the living room to read until it was time to really start the day.

This wasn’t the first kid they had taken in and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but for some reason Bucky wanted to keep this one. Sure, he almost always wanted the little omegas to stay with them but Tony was different somehow. Maybe it was those big puppy dog eyes that just swallowed him when he looked at them, or his adorable mess of hair. Or perhaps it was how Tony’s tiny little hand fit so securely in Bucky’s that made a difference.

Whatever it was, Bucky was going to be so disappointed when the Omega House had space for Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting ready to move again. Packing is not my favorite but I do love getting rid of things.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	3. A Brief Cuddle

When Tony woke up, the sun was shining through a small window. A clock on the dresser read just after 10 in the morning. Yawning, Tony stood up and made the bed out of habit, placing his bear on the pillow with his back pack behind it. He knew it was stupid but the bear had always protected him and now tony needed him to protect his bag from being stolen. That accomplished, Tony crept out of the bedroom and down the hall, nervously chewing on his bottom lip.

Bucky was in the living room reading a book but he looked up when Tony entered and smiled at the boy.

“Hey, you hungry?” asked Bucky.

Tony nodded, one hand going up to grip tightly at the base of his hair and the other twisting the hem of his shirt, wishing he had brought his bear with him if only to have something soft to cuddle.

“Let’s get you some fruit and toast then,” said Bucky easily, standing up and going to the kitchen, indicating the stool for Tony to sit on. “And when you’re all done we can go to my work. I’ll show you around and get you set up with some workbooks.”

“Like school?” asked Tony softly, spearing a bit of sliced banana from the plate Bucky had set in front of him.

“Sort of,” said Bucky, leaning against the counter as he watched the young boy, noting which fruits he was eating and which Tony calmly pushed to the side. “Have you ever been to school before?”

“No,” whispered Tony, looking down at his plate before looking up and staring at Bucky with a bit of fire in his eyes. “But Clint said I would get to go to school no matter where I’m living so – so I’m going to school. Clint said.”

“He was right,” said Bucky with a laugh that somehow Tony knew wasn’t directed at him but more fond. “You will get to go to school. School is important. I’m an omega too, kid, I’m on your side. But we can’t enroll you yet since we don’t know what grade you should be in. I have some workbooks at my shop that you can work on that will help us get a good idea. Can you read?”

“Yeah! Miss Ana taught me. She used to clean the house while my parents were gone and she would sneak me books and taught me to read. And she taught me maths! Miss Ana was the best.”

“Sounds like it. So finish your food and go wash up so we can get to the shop and you can start your schooling.”

Tony shoved the last two blueberries in his mouth and hurried off to the bathroom, more animated than Bucky had seen him. Bucky shook his head with a grin, happy he could make the kid happy but also a little heartbroken that school is what had Tony so excited. No seven year old should be so grateful for the chance to go to school when it should just be a given. Before Bucky could get too deep into the melancholy thoughts, Tony came rushing back in, his jacket on and a grin on his face.

“Ready!” said Tony brightly.

“Do you want your bear?” asked Bucky, kneeling down and retying Tony’s little shoes, noting how they didn’t fit and adding another thing on his list of things for Steve to pick up on his way home.

“Um, no, it’s okay,” said Tony, anxiously, glancing back at where he clearly wanted his bear. “He’s going to stay here with my bag.”

“Ah, I see,” said Bucky. “Well then, let’s head out. It’s only a few blocks but I want you to hold my hand. It’s much busier out now and I don’t want you to get lost.”

Like Bucky had said, the walk was short and Tony stayed very close to Bucky, practically plastered to his side as they passed through the crowds. Bucky ached to pick him up and reassure the poor kid that he was safe but he knew it wasn’t right, Tony barely knew him and picking the kid up would go a long way in breaking any of the fragile trust they had built.

The shop was nice. It held four bays, all of which were full with a car getting worked on. There was a small waiting area and office, the floors a polished concrete and the front desk black. Bucky brought Tony to his office in the back. There was a metal desk set up piled high with paperwork against the wall. Across from that were shelves that held files and books and a computer on a built in bookcase. On the back wall was a wooden table that Bucky pointed Tony to sit at.

“Here,” said Bucky, opening a drawer of workbooks and taking them all out, setting them in front of Tony. “These are the books I was talking about. Now some of these are going to be really high level, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t know something. It doesn’t mean you’ll never know it, it just means you still have to learn. Okay?”

“I get to do all of these?” said Tony in awe, his face lighting up at all the books.

“If you want,” chuckled Bucky. “How about you start with this reading book. Work on that for about twenty minutes and then I’ll check it and switch you to the math book for a bit. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“And if you need a break or have any questions let me know. I’m going to be right here at my desk doing some paperwork.”

“You don’t work on the cars?” asked Tony.

“Sometimes. But owning the shop means I have to do a lot more paperwork during the day. I get to work on cars after, like a reward.”

Tony nodded and opened the first book.

Two hours later Bucky ordered sandwiches from the shop across the street for them and gave Tony a turkey and cheese while he had a meatball sub.

“Do you have any food allergies?” asked Bucky suddenly, looking up from his sub.

“Um, yes,” said Tony, scrunching his nose in thought. “I think so?”

“What do you remember?”

“Um, I got really itchy and my throat hurt when I snuck some shrimp when mom and dad were having a party,” said Tony slowly. “Is that an allergy?”

“Possibly,” said Bucky. “We’ll get you tested so we can be sure. I don’t want to accidently feed you something you will have an allergic reaction to, so we’ll add that to the list of things to do.”

“What other things do we need to do?” asked Tony, swinging his legs before taking a big bite of his sandwich and humming happily at the taste of the crisp tomatoes.

“Well you need a general check-up. We don’t have any of your records and by law we can’t inquire about them, so you’ll need to get all your shots updated. We’ll also get your eyes checked over and take you to get some new clothes and toys.”

“Um, we don’t have to go to the doctor, I’m all healthy,” said Tony quietly. “So we can skip that part, right?”

“Have you ever been to the doctors before?”

Tony nodded, setting aside his sandwich, his appetite suddenly lost.

“When?” asked Bucky gently.

“A few years ago. I was really sick. It was scary. I didn’t like it. Please don’t make me go.”

“Do you want to sit with me for a little bit?” offered Bucky, seeing how upset Tony was getting.

Tony nodded, tears filling his eyes.

Bucky scooped him up and cuddled him close before turning on the computer and pulling up a website.

“Look right here,” said Bucky, turning Tony slightly so the boy was no longer chest to chest with him but sitting sideways on his lap. “See this website?”

Tony nodded, sniffing and gazing at the screen that had calming colors and pictures of smiling people interacting with each other.

“This is the Omega Clinic website,” said Bucky. “It’s a really good place and they specialize in treating omegas. I bet it was pretty scary last time you went to the doctors and it will be scary this time too because you’ve never been before to this place. New things can be very scary. But this place is really great. My friend is a doctor there. We can call him right now if you want and he can show you around the office from the phone so that when we go there it won’t all be new.”

“We – we can call him?” asked Tony.

“Yup. Would you like to do that?”

Tony nodded, leaning further into Bucky’s chest, one hand anxiously smoothing the soft material of Bucky’s shirt. Bucky noted again that they needed to get Tony more comfortable clothing to wear. The majority of omegas had very sensitive skin and needed soft clothing to feel safe and comfortable. Young omegas especially craved that comfort, it was one of the reasons that they often carried stuffed animals or blankets around far longer than would be deemed appropriate for alphas or betas. If Tony had spent the first seven years of his life in a household that didn’t encourage such a thing it made sense that he would leave his bear behind even when he wanted it.

Bucky pulled out his phone and waited until Stephen had answered and they talked for a minute before putting it on video chat.

“Tony, I want you to meet my friend Dr. Stephen Strange,” said Bucky brightly, holding the phone so Stephen could see both of them and Tony could clearly see the screen as well. “Stephen, this is Tony.”

“Hello Tony,” said Stephen with a smile, his eyes crinkling. “I hear you are going to meet me pretty soon but are a little worried. Is that right?”

Tony nodded, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously. 

“Doctors can be pretty scary,” said Stephen understandingly. “How about I show you around a bit and tell you what we do here?”

Tony nodded again. Stephen started with his office and then walked through some other parts of the clinic, explaining different things and introducing Tony to some of the people he passed. As the virtual tour went on, Tony became slightly more animated, even asking a question of two by the end.

After they hung up Bucky decided to call it a day on the paperwork and take Tony to do something fun. Or, at least something he deemed was fun.

“Alright, have you ever worked on a car before?” asked Bucky with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the well wishes with moving! I hope it all goes well. Let me know if you have something specific you want to see - or if you have another story idea you want me to write - and I'll see what I can do.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	4. Appointments

The three of them fell into an easy routine and by Thursday Bucky and Steve could visibly see how much more confident Tony had become.

Tony would wake up early and go to work with Bucky. In the morning the two of them would work in the office together, Bucky on paperwork and Tony on the workbooks. In the evenings Phil would come over and check the work. He had noticed the gaps in Tony’s learning easily. The boy was a quick study but clearly self-taught. After lunch Bucky would take Tony into the shop to a small back warehouse that held a single bay. He would show the boy how to fix little things on an old Impala he was working on restoring. They both enjoyed their afternoons together. Steve was back on the day shift at the fire station, so he was home every evening to be with his husband and their foster child. Tony had warmed up to Steve well in the few short days he had known the alpha. It helped that Bucky clearly adored Steve and Steve in turn adored Bucky. Tony was very convinced that Bucky was the greatest person ever, so if he liked Steve than Tony would have to try as well.

Steve had taken the morning off to accompany Bucky and Tony to the Omega Clinic. Tony was anxious, hugging his bear close with one arm and holding Bucky’s hand tight with the other. Steve stood just behind Bucky and Tony, content with Bucky taking charge. Steve was just there for moral support, the Omega Clinic was not a place alphas usually ventured because it was one of the few areas of the world they were not viewed as in charge.

The Omega Clinic had worked hard to earn it’s place. It was one of the few official places that cared entirely for omegas, mostly by omegas. It didn’t have to answer to the government because it registered as a safe haven under the old laws.

The Clinic was busy, as usual, but very organized. The waiting rooms were organized by need and set up for that specific comfort. For sick omegas there was a waiting room with soft chairs, low lights, and dark walls. Older omegas getting general health checks and pregnancy appointments had a soft green room with seats that were easy to get out of and water stands every few feet. A children’s area was set up with walls painted with sea creatures and toys to play with. Then there was just a general waiting room in the middle for alphas who were waiting for their mates or children to be finished with appointments.

“Hello Tony,” said Dr. Stephen Strange, crouching down in front of Tony and smiling with his eye crinkling smile. “I’m Dr. Stephen Strange, we talked on the phone a few days ago. I showed you around the Clinic. It’s fine if you don’t remember, you’ve had an eventful few days I bet.”

“I remember,” said Tony quietly, huddling closer to Bucky.

“That’s wonderful,” said Stephen. “I was thinking that we could walk around a bit with Bucky and check things out in person and then we can get to the check up part if we have time. What do you think?”

“What do you mean, if we have time?” asked Tony, blinking up at the man. “I thought we were just here for a check up.”

“You are but I think it would be better if you could get comfortable first,” said Stephen calmly. “I know it can be pretty scary and if you’re anxious we won’t get a good idea of your vitals – like how fast your heart beats and how hard your blood goes through your body, things like that. That’s why I was wondering if you wanted a tour. It can help make things less scary if you know where you are and what is going on.”

Tony eyed him suspiciously for a moment before nodding, his grip on Bucky’s hand never wavering. 

“Let’s get started then,” said Dr. Strange, standing back up to his full height. “Steve, would you just wait for us in the waiting area? We have a few new arrivals.”

“Of course,” said Steve instantly. Sometimes he was welcome to accompany Bucky but sometimes there were new omega arrivals escaping a bad situation and Steve being present wouldn’t help at all. “I’ll just be over there with my book. Have fun, Tony. I can’t wait to hear all about your tour with Bucky and Dr. Strange.”

Tony waved and followed Dr. Strange with Bucky further into the clinic.

As the tour went on Tony visibly relaxed. The warm tones on the walls served their purpose in helping calm the overwhelmed kid and Dr. Strange did a good job of explaining what each area was for. He would first say what it was in scientific terms and then repeat it, explaining it in a way that Tony would hopefully understand. Tony liked that – most adults tried to start off using really small words and simple terms, which confused Tony because how was he supposed to learn anything new if he wasn’t exposed to the proper terms?

“And this is one of the rooms where we normally do check ups on young omegas like you,” said Dr. Strange after they had explored nearly the entire facility. “Do you want to try getting your blood pressure taken?”

“How does that work?” asked Tony, peering around the room with interest. 

There was a padded bench pushed against one wall with thin paper over it and another bench on the opposite wall without paper. Near the paper covered bench were some devices that Tony had seen throughout the tour but hadn’t asked what they were for. The sea foam green walls had two pictures of the ocean on them but nothing too loud or bright.

“Would you like a demonstration?” asked Dr. Strange. “I have found it is easier to understand when you can see it happening at the same time.”

“You can check my blood pressure,” offered Bucky.

Both adults waited until Tony nodded before Bucky lifted Tony onto the paper covered bench and sat down next to him, rolling up his sleeve to offer the doctor his arm. Tony got on his knees and leaned against Bucky, one hand on his shoulder for balance and watched raptly as the doctor slid a blue cuff up Bucky’s arm and fastened it in place with Velcro.

“Now this cuff is going to get rather tight,” said Dr. Strange. “Sometimes it squeezes a bit and can make your arm hurt a little but not for long. The cuff has to inflate enough to cut off the flow of blood very briefly. As the pressure in the cuff decreases the blood starts flowing again and we can detect arterial pulsations as oscillations. We listen as it reaches it’s maximum and then minimum, which gives us the systolic and diastolic readings. Basically we listen to the blood vibrations until we can’t hear anymore noise and that tells us how hard your heart is pumping blood through your body.”

Tony nodded and watched as Dr. Strange pumped up the cuff and then waited as it got smaller again. 

“122 over 76,” said Dr. Strange. “That’s in the normal range, so that’s good.”

“Would you be open to trying?” asked Bucky, looking at Tony.

“Okay,” said Tony softly.

“Do you want to sit with me while it happens?”

“Yes please.”

“You can sit with Bucky for everything that happens at this appointment,” said Dr. Strange. “In the future you might have to sit by yourself for us to get proper readings or pictures but I’ll always let you know how long that will be. Okay?”

Tony nodded and settled on Bucky’s lap. Dr. Strange slid a much smaller cuff up Tony’s arm and talked him through the entire process again as it went on. When that was finished Dr. Strange listened to Tony breathe, checked his eye tracking and pupil response, and his reflexes.

“We are still looking to see if there are any medical records on you to see what vaccines you already have,” said Dr. Strange. “But there has recently been a resurgence of measles, so I want to give you that vaccine now in case you come in contact with someone carrying it. What questions do you have?”

“Will it hurt?” asked Tony, more curious than afraid now.

“A bit,” said Dr. Strange while Bucky smiled indulgently at the kid. “Have you ever felt a hard pinch?”

Tony nodded.

“It’s a bit like that, but it goes away fairly quickly. The needle we use for this vaccine isn’t very thick, so it doesn’t hurt as much as others.”

“Where does the needle go?”

“It will go into the upper part of your arm.”

“Does it stay in there forever?”

“Nope! Just a few seconds and then it’s over.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” said Tony, looking determined. He wasn’t thrilled about getting a shot but so far Dr. Strange hadn’t done anything terrible and hadn’t lied to him about what things would feel like. Plus, Bucky still had a hold of him and was warm and cozy, so Tony wasn’t too worried.

Dr. Strange cleaned the area and quickly administered the shot. He let Tony pick out a band-aide and then took a quick blood sample. After he said he would wait outside the room to let Tony gather himself and then walk them out.

Bucky walked around the little room with Tony in his arms, reading the signs to him and swaying gradually while Tony sniffled a little into his shoulder. After a few minutes Tony deemed himself ready to go on, though he did not ask Bucky to put him down, so Bucky walked out with Tony still cuddled in his arms. Dr. Strange walked them back to the waiting area and bid them farewell as Steve came to greet them.

“How’d it go?” asked Steve.

“I got a vaccine and they took my blood,” said Tony. “But not like vampires, they used needles, not their teeth. I guess it was okay.”

“Oh?” chuckled Steve as they walked to a nearby pizza shop for lunch. 

“Yeah, I mean, it’d be kinda cool if Dr. Strange was a vampire,” said Tony with a shrug. “But he’s not. He’s just a doctor.”

“Are you sure he’sjust a doctor?” asked Steve in a light tone. “He might be a vampire and just hiding it.”

“No, vampires love blood and he didn’t even try to smell mine,” said Tony seriously. “Maybe he is a wizard, but not a vampire.”

“And that’s that,” said Bucky with a smile. “Now, what type of pizza do we want?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sleep deprived so I hope the mistakes are few.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari

**Author's Note:**

> I just really needed this in my life because I wanted a story where Tony gets left and everyone falls in love with his big eyes and wants to keep him safe and happy and just yes.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
